MAPUSA
For the second time, the district administration on Wednesday failed to demolish “illegal” constructions attached to the iconic Souza Lobo restaurant on the Calangute beach even as the owner Jude Lobo alleged that the officials of the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) were out to harass him.
The administration including the executive magistrate of Bardez along with the machinery reached the site at around 11 am, but had to return empty handed after the owner challenged them over the process.
According to Lobo, the GCZMA officials claimed that they have done a re-survey of the property and later issued a show-cause notice to him.
“But in the show-cause notice, they did not send us the inspection report and the plan and then directly passed an order on October 21. The order is not served to me and today, they came directly to execute the order,” Lobo said.
He further said that he was communicating with the GCZMA on the matter and a personal hearing in the matter was scheduled on Thursday (October 27), but surprisingly the district administration came to demolish the structure.
“They have not furnished all the documents and are yet to hear me in the matter. How can they come to demolish when the process is on,” he questioned.
He said the GCZMA has asked them to demolish certain parts of the structure citing CRZ violation.
“The structure has been existing since 1932 when the CRZ rules were not in force,” he said and alleged that the GCZMA officials were harassing him and his family under political pressure.
It may be recalled the district administration had unsuccessfully attempted a similar exercise last month.
On September 13, the administration had descended at the site with men and machinery but had to abandon plans to demolish the illegal structure, as the authorities could not identify the structure that was supposed to be pulled down.
